midterm
Chapter 1: A Life Course Perspective
1. Cohort A group of people born around the same time who may experience similar historical events or social changes.
2. Cumulative advantage/disadvantage How advantages or disadvantages build up over time. For example, a child with access to good education may have more opportunities as an adult.
3. Life course perspective A way of understanding how people develop and change throughout their lives based on their experiences, relationships, and environment.
4. Life event An important event that can change a person’s life, such as getting married, having a baby, or losing a job.
5. Period effects Events or conditions that affect many people living during the same historical period, such as a pandemic or an economic recession.
6. Protective factors Things that help protect people from risks and negative outcomes, such as supportive family members, friends, or access to resources.
7. Trajectories The long-term patterns or paths a person’s life follows, such as their education, career, or health over time.
Chapter 2: Conception, Pregnancy, and Childbirth
1. Chromosomes Structures inside cells that contain genetic information. Humans typically have 46 chromosomes arranged in 23 pairs.
2. Genes Sections of DNA that carry instructions for traits and how the body develops and functions.
3. Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) A range of physical, behavioral, and learning problems that can occur when a developing baby is exposed to alcohol during pregnancy.
4. Fetal viability The point in pregnancy when a fetus may be able to survive outside the uterus, usually with medical support.
5. Health inequity Unfair and avoidable differences in people’s health caused by disadvantages in social, economic, or environmental conditions.
6. Infertility When a person or couple has difficulty achieving pregnancy. Medically, it is generally defined as not achieving pregnancy after 12 months of regular, unprotected sex, with some exceptions based on age or circumstances.
7. Low birth weight (LBW) When a baby weighs less than 2,500 grams (5 pounds, 8 ounces) at birth.
8. Miscarriage The loss of a pregnancy before the fetus can survive outside the uterus.
9. Multifactorial inheritance When a trait or condition results from a combination of multiple genes and environmental influences.
10. Teratogens Substances or environmental factors that can harm a developing embryo or fetus, such as alcohol, certain medications, or some infections.
Chapter 3: Infancy and Toddlerhood
1. Brain plasticity The brain’s ability to change and adapt by forming and strengthening connections based on experiences and learning.
2. Co-regulation When a caregiver helps a baby or young child manage their emotions and behavior until they develop those skills themselves.
3. Developmental niche The environment a child grows up in, including their physical surroundings, caregiving practices, and the beliefs and expectations of their culture.
4. Infant mortality The death of a baby before their first birthday.
5. Motor skills Abilities that involve movement and coordination of the body.
Gross motor skills: Large movements, such as crawling, walking, and running.
Fine motor skills: Small, controlled movements, such as grasping a toy or picking up small objects.
Chapter 3: Infancy and Toddlerhood (continued)
1. Neurons Specialized nerve cells that send and receive information throughout the brain and body.
2. Object permanence Understanding that an object still exists even when you cannot see it. For example, a baby knows a toy is still there when it is hidden under a blanket.
3. Parental sensitivity A parent’s ability to notice a child’s needs and respond to them appropriately and consistently.
4. Preoperational stage Piaget’s stage of cognitive development, usually ages 2–7, when children use language and symbols but struggle with logical thinking.
5. Reflex An automatic response to a stimulus, such as a newborn sucking when something touches their mouth.
6. Sensorimotor stage Piaget’s first stage of cognitive development, from birth to about age 2, when babies learn through their senses and physical actions.
7. Serve and return When a baby does something, such as babbling or pointing, and a caregiver responds. This back-and-forth interaction supports brain development.
8. Synapses Connections between neurons that allow information to pass from one nerve cell to another.
9. Synaptic pruning The brain’s process of removing weaker or less-used connections between neurons to make brain functioning more efficient.
10. Temperament A person’s natural way of reacting to situations and expressing emotions, such as being calm, active, or easily upset.
Essay Questions
1. What risk factors could impact pregnancy? (Biological, psychological, social)
Biological factors: Health conditions, poor nutrition, alcohol or drug use, infections, and lack of prenatal care.
Psychological factors: High stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges.
Social factors: Poverty, homelessness, lack of social support, unsafe living conditions, and difficulty accessing healthcare.
These risk factors can affect the parent’s health and the baby’s growth and development.
2. How do we help infants develop their social brain? Why would these strategies work? (Pages 153–155)
We help infants develop their social brain by:
Responding to their needs: Comforting them when they cry helps them feel safe.
Serve and return interactions: Responding to their sounds, smiles, and gestures teaches them how to communicate.
Making eye contact and talking to them: Helps them learn facial expressions, language, and social cues.
Providing affection and physical comfort: Builds trust and helps infants learn to regulate their emotions.
Playing and interacting with them: Helps them develop communication and social skills.
Why these strategies work: A baby’s brain develops through repeated experiences and interactions with caregivers. These positive experiences strengthen brain connections and help babies build attachment, communication, and emotional regulation skills.